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Sale extended • Save $100 on the 2026 Family Retreat until July 31 • Yours today for $297

Sale extended. Save $100

Go behind the scenes with 20 of the world's best family photographers.

The 2026 Family Retreat · Online · Lifetime Access

Watch them run a real session from the first frame all the way to the final image. The grumpy dad. The feral toddler. The light in an ordinary living room. Every choice they make, and why they make it.

20 full classes you watch on your own schedule, in any order

Lifetime access, unlimited replays, downloads to keep

A private community open all year, plus live Q&As + critiques

No flights, no hotels, no time off. Just press play.

Shannon McTighe

My 4 Hens

Stormy Solis

Myrtle & Moss

Regular: $397 USD

Get Instant Access for $297

or 3 payments of $99

Trusted by family photographers for 10 years. 28,600+ students and counting.

Pushing yourself to see differently

Direction and play in your sessions

Images full of connection

Tell a big story in a small timeline

You love photography.

Meh is not why you started. See if any of this sounds like you.







Family sessions, though?

Lately they feel a little meh.

Same field. Same poses. Same prompts you have used a hundred times. The work is fine, your clients are happy, but something feels off and you cannot quite name it.

It's starting to feel like Groundhog Day.

You scroll past an image and think how. What are they doing that I am not. You are pretty sure you are one or two choices away from it, you just cannot see which ones.

You see work you love and cannot work out the secret.

The dad who would rather be anywhere else. The toddler melting down. You smile and push through, but inside you are scrambling for what to say next.


You freeze a little when a session goes sideways.

You poured your heart into it, hit send, and got crickets. That silence is soul crushing. Did I do something wrong. Do they not love them. It plants a tiny seed of doubt every time.


You deliver the gallery, and then... nothing.

If you nodded at even one of those, you are exactly who this is for.


Real sessions. Real families. Real decisions happening in real time, with no script and no polish. You watch how they direct a reluctant dad, settle a toddler who is done, find beautiful light in an ordinary room, and shape a whole creative vision from a blank field.

Think of it as being a second shooter at 20 different sessions at once. You get to see exactly what they do, and just as importantly, why they do it.

Most of them even take you back to the computer afterwards and walk you through how the final image actually comes together.

It's not a course with modules and checkboxes. It's a front-row seat next to 20 photographers while they actually work.

So here is what this actually is


You walk away with one thing that changes everything: a clearer sense of your own creative direction.

Guide a real family, not a posed one

How to talk to people so they relax, how to handle the dad who is not into it and the kid who is over it, and how to get genuine expressions instead of stiff cheese-for-the-camera smiles.

Here's what you actually get to watch them do

Build a session with a point of view

Where to place people, how to stage a moment, how to layer in the little personal details that turn a nice photo into a story only that family could be in.

Find gorgeous light anywhere

Outdoor light, window light, a regular living room at the wrong time of day. Watch how they read a space and make ordinary light do something special.

Take it through to the finish

Many of the teachers walk you right through to the edit, so you finally see how the work that stops you in your feed actually gets made, start to finish.

Pull back the curtain


The moment this is really about

Picture the next gallery you hand over. Not crickets this time. Tears. That little gasp. The message that says you captured them exactly as they are, the funny face, the way he looks at her, the bit of childhood that was already slipping away.

Because here is the truth you already feel in your gut. What you do matters. Those kids are only this age once. That newborn is twelve days old once. Getting to be the one who holds onto that for a family is a genuine honour.

When your work lands like that, everything else gets easier. Those families come back year after year. You stop being the photographer they hired and start being part of their story. You feel like you belong in the club of work you have always admired, and like your work is unmistakably, recognisably yours.

That is the whole point of this. Twenty photographers showing you, no gatekeeping and nothing held back, how they get to that moment. So you can get there too.


I want this for my work!

Your front-row seat


Meet a few of your 20 instructors

Recognised for work that stops the scroll. Here is a taste of who you will be sitting in with.


How to Move Between Direction and Play to Get the Most Out of Every Family Session

Colorado mountains. Two kids. A photographer who knows exactly when to step in and when to get out of the way. Shannon shows you her complete approach from the first frame to the final edit — and how that balance between direction and freedom is where the best images live.

Editing shown: Yes

Shannon McTighe Photography

How to Create Family Images Full of Natural Emotion and Real Connection

Slow down, get present, and shoot from the heart. Sarah shows you how to create the kind of images that don't just look beautiful — they feel like the family actually lived them.

Editing shown: Yes

My Four Hens Photography

How to Tell a Big Story
 in a Small Timeline

More time doesn't mean better images. Ang shows you how to move through a session with intention, prioritize the shots that matter, and walk away with a complete, varied gallery — without rushing a single moment.

Editing shown: Yes

Myrtle & Moss Photography

Sweet Soul Studio

Fun and fine art aren't opposites. Kirsty shows you how a personality-filled studio session becomes a series of images that look like they belong in a gallery - and walks you through her fine-art editing process that gets them there.

Editing shown: Yes

How to Guide a Creative Shoot while Creating the Magic in the Culling & Presentation.

Stormy shows you the angles, light, and choices she makes when she's actively pushing herself to see differently, then walks you through culling and selection so you understand not just what she captured, but why she kept it.

She closes with her approach to marketing from the images you just watched her make.

Stormy Solis Photography

How to Create a Fun, Story-Driven Fine-Art Session

Plus 15 more, covering maternity, motherhood, branding, client memberships, photographing neurodivergent children, diversity and documentary work, styled beach and in-home sessions, and the editing process that takes the work from good to unmistakable.

New to our Retreats?

#1. Press play, on your time

Watch all 20 classes whenever you like, in any order, as many times as you want.

#2. Keep it forever

#3. Connect in community

The group remains open until the 2027 retreat.  It's a safe + drama free place to grow!


Here's how it works.

Lifetime access and unlimited replays, with downloads so you can watch on the go once your ticket is paid in full.

Even if you've been at this for years. Some of our most loyal retreaters have a decade behind them. A fresh pair of eyes is exactly what shakes you out of the rut.

This still works, even if

In case you are wondering


Even if your clients are already happy. Happy clients and bored-of-your-own-work can absolutely live in the same body. This is for the photographer, not just the customer.

Even if you have taken classes before. This is not theory and slides. It is watching real decisions get made in real sessions, which is the part almost nobody lets you see.


Even if you are short on time. Nothing is live or scheduled. You own it for life and dip in whenever a session is coming up and you need a spark.

We love a good in-person event too. It is just rather nice to learn from your sofa, on your schedule, for a fraction of the price.


So you have two choices

Fly to one in-person conference and sit through a handful of talks

Or pay a similar price for a single in-depth lesson

Or cobble it together from random YouTube videos and Reels at 11pm

Let's talk value

Option one

$2,800+

once you add flights, hotel & meals

Lifetime access to all 20 classes, yours to revisit forever

Every session shown start to finish, most right through to the edit

A full year of community and support, from home

Option two

$297

today, for the whole thing

Not tutorials. Not theory. Actually watching someone make real decisions in a real session, with a real family who is not cooperating. That is the fastest way I know to grow.

I have been running this retreat for 10 years, and the thing I believe more strongly every single time is that there is no one right way to do this work. This retreat reminds you of that, and hands you 20 different examples of what it can look like, so you can take the pieces that feel like you and leave the rest.

I am really glad you found this.

If we haven'te met, I'm Lisa

"My sessions are now filled with laughter and love, and I have fallen for the art of family photography all over again. I owe it to this retreat."

~Mallory J

"I feel like I am actually starting to find my style. I have also never booked so many clients in such a short amount of time."

~Teigan S

"This was such a game changer. My confidence grew so much, and I have seen a big improvement in my photos, both technically and creatively."

~Kamila L.

From photographers who have been inside


What past retreaters say

Over 28,600 photographers have been through our online retreats and classes.


Pull up a chair. You belong here.

Your spot is waiting


The 2026 Family Retreat. 20 photographers, lifetime access, all from home.


20 full-length classes, 45 to 120 minutes each, from 20 of the world's best family photographers

Every session shown start to finish, most right through to the edit

Lifetime access, unlimited replays, and downloads to keep once paid in full

A private community open all year until the 2027 Retreat gets underway

Watch any time, in any order. No travel, ever.

Full Family Retreat access

Sale extended · save $100

Get Instant Access for $297

Instant access. Yours for life. 

or join with 3 payments of $99 →

pay in full, or split into 3 payments of $99

297

$

USD

Regular $397

Not quite ready? Take a little something with you.

Grab the Storyteller's Toolkit, 100 prompts you can use in your very next family session, free. We will keep you posted on the retreat too.


Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I HAVE to be online at a certain time?

Q: Can I download the videos?

Q: Is there a Retreat Facebook community?

Q: Does this have captions?  subtitles?

Q: How long are the videos?

Q: How does the payment plan work?

Q: How long do I have access?

Q: Is there tax added?

Yes! Once your retreat experience has been paid in full (for those on the payment plan), you can download the videos so you have them for life. You'll also enjoy lifetime access to the videos on our member site.

Have another question?  Email lisa@themilkyway.ca

Q: Do I HAVE to be online at a certain time?

Q: Can I download the videos?

Q: Is there a Retreat Facebook community?

Q: Does this have captions?  subtitles?

Q: How long are the videos?

Q: How does the payment plan work?

Q: How long do I have access?

Q: Is there tax added?

We'll be hosting a bonus Facebook group. To participate, there is a set of community guidelines to follow (basically - be awesome!), but those who are not awesome, will be asked to leave. Teachers will answer questions until June 17th, 2026 and other conversations will continue until the group is archived before the 2027 retreat gets underway.

Have another question?  Email lisa@themilkyway.ca

Q: Do I HAVE to be online at a certain time?

Q: Can I download the videos?

Q: Is there a Retreat Facebook community?

Q: Does this have captions?  subtitles?

Q: How long are the videos?

Q: How does the payment plan work?

Q: How long do I have access?

Q: Is there tax added?

Teacher videos will range from 45-120 minutes. Some will be video footage of the instructor in action showing specific posing and lighting techniques, while other topics will be presented in a slideshow or screen share format.

Have another question?  Email lisa@themilkyway.ca

Q: Do I HAVE to be online at a certain time?

Q: Can I download the videos?

Q: Is there a Retreat Facebook community?

Q: Does this have captions?  subtitles?

Q: How long are the videos?

Q: How does the payment plan work?

Q: How long do I have access?

Q: Is there tax added?

If you opt for the payment plan, your first payment comes out at registration with following payments coming out automatically every 30 days. (using the same payment method as you used at sign-up).

You will have access to the retreat experience as soon as it's released - however, the download links will not be activated until the final payment has been made.

Have another question?  Email lisa@themilkyway.ca

Q: Do I HAVE to be online at a certain time?

Q: Can I download the videos?

Q: Is there a Retreat Facebook community?

Q: Does this have captions?  subtitles?

Q: How long are the videos?

Q: How does the payment plan work?

Q: How long do I have access?

Q: Is there tax added?

 If you have the good fortune of living in Canada, then yes, there will be GST and/or HST charged. If your business is registered, it is more of a 'paper shuffle' with the CRA vs added cost. If you don't have a business tax ID, we know tax can seem like a bummer, but think of all the wonderful things it provides....free healthcare tops our list!

Have another question?  Email lisa@themilkyway.ca

You've been meaning to shake things up for a while now.

You have bookmarked the work you love. You have promised yourself the next season will feel different. And then the next batch of sessions rolls around and it is the same field, the same prompts, the same quiet meh on the drive home.

You can spend another whole season hoping it clicks on its own. Or you can spend three weeks sitting beside 20 photographers who already do the thing you are reaching for, keep it for life, and walk into your next session knowing exactly what you are doing.

The save $100 ends July 31st. The version of your work you have been picturing does not have to wait that long.

Join today for $297

one last thing

or 3 payments of $99 · instant access · yours for life


Want to review the rest of the classes?

In addition to the five classes listed above, you'll also get lifetime access to....

How to Create a Styled Lifestyle Session
With a Story

Baby chicks in a greenhouse. A gender reveal cake. A family wrapped up in the sweetest moment of their life. Annie shows you how to build a session so layered with personal detail and creative intention that every single image has something worth looking at.

Editing shown: Yes

Annie Nelson Photography

How to Create a Nostalgic, Cinema-Inspired Portrait at Home

Your kitchen has more potential than you think. Robin shows you how to find the light, arrange the environment, and place your subjects to create something that feels less like a family photo and more like a still from a film  - then walks you through her complete Lightroom and Photoshop edit so you can see exactly how the final frame comes together.

Editing shown: Yes

Robin Fox Photography

How to Find and Shoot
Love in Unusual Places

The best couples images don't happen at the same park everyone else uses. Melissa shows you how to find the hidden, the unexpected, and the cinematic — and turn a location into a feeling that lingers long after the session ends.

MMB Photography

How to Honor Diversity in Your Family
Photography Work

Diversity in family photography goes deeper than how people look. Amy shows you why it matters, why documentary style is the easiest and most genuine way to achieve it, and walks you through her full cull and edit so every image serves the story of the family in front of your lens.

Editing shown: Yes

Amy Dangerfield Photography

How to Create and Market One Photography Offer From Start to Finish

No more guessing where to start or what comes next. Fiona walks you through a clear, complete example of building a photography offer and mapping out exactly how to market it — so you leave with a path you can actually follow.

Fiona Margo Photography

How to Photograph Families With Connection, Creativity, and Confidence

Real laughter. Kids doing their thing. Parents who actually relax. Becca shows you how to guide a family session so naturally it never feels like one — and how to use creative tools like prisms and Lensbaby lenses to add visual interest without losing the moment.

Editing shown: Yes

Becca Jean Photography

How to Photograph Neurodivergent Children

The preparation, the communication, the approach. Christa gives you everything you need to walk into any session with a neurodivergent child feeling ready — and create lifestyle images that feel relaxed, genuine, and amazing.

Editing shown: Yes

Christa Paustenbaugh Photography

How to Create a Fine Art Maternity Portrait From Start to Finish

Cherry blossoms, studio light, and a clear creative vision. Lindsey walks you through every decision — the pose, the light, the edit — so you understand exactly how a fine art maternity image gets made from the first idea to the final file.

Editing shown: Yes

Lindsey Lee Photography

How to Shoot  Sessions That Are Unmistakably Yours

Your work should look like you made it, not like you found it on Pinterest. Jackie walks you through building a creative session with a point of view so people know it's yours before they even see your name.

Editing shown: Yes

Jackie Jean Photography

Liz DeVinny Photography

How to Create Senior Portraits That Are Cinematic, Intentional, and Completely Unforgettable

Location scouting, styling, natural light, off-camera flash, dual-light setups with smoke. Liz walks you through every single decision in a complete senior session — so you leave knowing exactly how to create portraits that feel less like a school requirement and more like a movie still.

Editing shown: Yes

Anna Kruse Photography

How to Create a Session So Personal It Becomes a Family Heirloom

A barn. Two babies. Animals that don't take direction. Anna shows you how to step into someone's real life, photograph the everyday magic they've stopped seeing, and create a gallery so meaningful the family will hand it down.

Editing shown: Yes

Tiffany Crenshaw Edu / Animal House Photography

How to Build a Client Membership That Creates Sustainable Income All Year Long

Stop riding the feast and famine cycle. Tiffany shows you how to build a membership model that keeps clients coming back, creates predictable income every single month, and lets you actually plan your year.

How to Build a Branding Photography Business That Gets You Hired Again and Again

Great branding work gets referrals. Renee walks you through the session, the delivery, and the client experience that makes people send their entire network straight to you.

Renee Bowen, Photography
and Coaching

How to Create a Styled Beach Session That Looks Like It Belongs in a Magazine

The light, the styling, the sea. Iuliia shows you how to bring a creative vision to the beach and come home with images so stunning people genuinely ask if they're real.

Editing shown: Yes

Pastell Studio

How to Shoot Motherhood Sessions With Intention

The outdoor light, the studio setup, the edit, and the connection that makes a mother actually feel seen. Kristin walks you through her entire approach so you understand not just how she does it — but why it works.

Editing shown: Yes

 Magnolia Grey Images

Join the Family Retreat for $297

Ready to do this?

or 3 payments of $99 · instant access · yours for life